


Learning to Move On

by lonesomedrifter



Category: Fallout - Fandom, Fallout 4
Genre: A little bit of angst, F/M, First story, Fluff, Fluffy, Please be warned, Sensual Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-06
Updated: 2018-03-06
Packaged: 2019-03-27 20:01:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13888125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lonesomedrifter/pseuds/lonesomedrifter
Summary: It’s been a year or so since the Sole Survivor of Vault 111, Nora, started travelling with the sharpshooter MacCready. Without knowing it, sparks start to fly back and forth until they finally confront their feelings.





	Learning to Move On

"Find em, find em!" Mac shouted.

Nora and Mac had been making their way home to Red Rocket when a horde of mole rats had attacked. Nora ripped through them with a shotgun, Mac doing what he could with his rifle.

The mercernary fell to the ground under a raggedy beast. He grunted, kicking at the thing, flinging it off in front of Nora. She spun and fired into its face.

MacCready stood, brushing himself off, flicking bits of mole rat flesh from his rifle. He scanned the area to confirm emptiness. Satisfied, he walked over to Nora.

"Hey! Not bad," she smiled, picking a mole rat by its tail. "There's some meat here."

"Take one," Mac warned. "It's an acquired taste."

Nora rolled her eyes sarcastically. A soft wind ruffled her gentle curls, blowing the brunette hair around her pale skin. Mac stared at her features in the setting sun. She always had looked too fragile and alien out in the Wasteland. Like a foreign porcelain doll, misplaced and left behind.

She caught his gaze. Mac expected a witty comment, but he received a warm smile. He shuddered and turned away before his cheeks could be seen.

"Uh, let's go. It's getting late," Mac instructed. He thanked himself that his voice didn't crack.

"Yeah, okay." Nora agreed. She holstered her shotgun on her back sling. With mole rat corpse in hand, she began the trek home.

Maccready let her walk in front of him all the way home.

–––––––––––

Nora dropped her shotgun on the garage pavement and it skidded to the toolbox. She set the mole rat on a tire and groaned.

"It's g-o-o-d to be back!" She grinned and stretched her arms over her head, before moving her legs around and cracking her knuckles.

MacCready winced and let his rifle lay on a wall. "You know I hate it when you do that."

Nora's yawn broke into a laugh. "That's why I do it, genius."

The ex-Gunner couldn't help but smile at her childishness. He scurried over to the large shelf in the hall to unload some of the junk Nora made him carry. He felt so much better afterward.

"Hey, I'm gonna roast this bad boy," Nora called from outside. "You get some drinks, right?"

"Sure, boss," Mac answered. Following her orders, he headed over to the cashier desk . He reached underneath the counter to take two cans of clean water from their stock. Walking back to the main garage, he began to smell the delicious meat.

Nora welcomed him with a kind nod. She was sitting on a tire, cutting bits of the mole rat off and skewering them on the spit. The fire gave her skin a lovely glow that made Mac's heart beat a little bit faster.

"Water?" Mac offered the can to her, seating himself on a bench right outside the garage.

"Nah. I'll wait." She finished slicing the meat and bent upwards, sticking out her tongue in concentration. She leaned over a little behind to her to the water pump.

MacCready cracked open his drink and took a sip. The cool water made his tonsils buzz, and he had remembered all over again how good clean water tasted at the end of a long day.

Nora's blue Vault suit caught his eye as she leaned against the bricks. Her hair was resting on one shoulder, stray strands on her chest.

"Is there room for two on that bench?" Nora smiled. She wiped her now clean hands on her thighs.

"Yeah, sure," Mac scooted over slightly. The bench creaked a little when she sat. Mac bent over to pick up the other can, leaning backwards and handing it to her. She smiled her gratitude and picked at the opening with her nail.

Mac stared at the sky. The sunset was just leaving the horizon, the final rays illuminating the backs of the trees and bushes. The early May air was crisp, but not freezing, refreshing.

"I always forget how pretty this world can be." Mac stated. He furrowed his eyebrows a bit. "I, well- despite the radiation and monsters that will definitely try to kill you."

Nora chuckled, snapping off the tab of the can. "Yeah. I guess..." she paused to sip. "Seeing the sky makes me hopeful. That people are still surviving out here."

Mac raised his eyelids higher. "That was cushy."

"Yeah, I know," Nora sarcastically answered. She shook her head. "S'true though."

"Sure." MacCready whispered into his drink, ending the conversation.

Nora wouldn't have it. "Anyways. How are you holdin' up?"

Mac turned to face her with a note of disbelief. "What? Me?" Nora nodded. "I uh... well. Better. A lot, better." He rubbed his neck subconsciously. "Ever since Med-Tek, I've been doing a lot better."

Nora nodded kindly. "Yeah, I'm uh.. happy to hear it."

"That means I owe you one," Mac raised his drink in a toast.

Nora raised her eyebrow. She shrugged a shoulder and shifted to clink his can. "I'll hold you to that."

Mac smiled genuinely. He felt his skin turn hot at his own smile, and squirmed into his collar.

"Seriously?" He muttered. "Since staying in Goodneighbor... I wasn't happy. Not at all. But you showed up two years ago. You bargained for 200 caps, and away we went."

Nora pursed her lips in reminiscence. "Two years," she thought aloud in a breathy laugh. "Time sure flies. I'd say I don't regret that decision," she said, before immediately looking at her shoes and hiding her red face.

Mac noticed all the same. "I- um.. I just wanna say, I haven't smiled in a long time. Now? I've probably laughed like eighty times a day. Uh... so thanks."

Nora took hold of his gaze. "Oh... thanks." She shifted in her seat and set the empty can at her side. "I... I wasn't doing too good before either. From... the Vault..." She faltered a little, before clearing her throat and continuing. "I was pretty sure I wasn't gonna find love again... but... I found you."

Nora's eyes widened suddenly after realizing what she said. Mac looked at her.

"Uh! I mean-" She slapped her forehead with a hand, resting her arm on her other arm. "That wasn't what I was trying to say-"

"Oh." Mac whispered.

Nora cocked her head at him slightly. Mac shook his head into his lapel instantly. "I- hungry?" He asked, and jogged over to the spit to pull off cooked meat.

––––––––

Mac had seated himself at the armor workbench they'd scraped together a week back, tightening the scope of his rifle. It had come loose the other day from a super mutant show down.

The minutes ticked by on the rusty alarm clock in the corner. He looked up at it, squinting at the hands. 10:35 PM. Mac set the screwdriver on the worktop and brought his fingers to his tired eyes. He knew he had to stop soon.

"Knock knock," Nora tapped on the doorframe behind him. He spun to see she was wearing a mid-length sleeved shirt and sweatpants, feet in gray socks. She leered at him.

He took off his cap, running hands through his hair. He stood up to face her.

"Finish tomorrow, huh?" Nora stepped forward. Her hand reached outwards to touch his arm gently. His fatigue drifted away in her grasp, but he nodded anyway.

"Okay." His eyes twinkled, and Nora looked away. She patted his arm and spun around. Nora slipped behind the counter and into the office-bedroom.

Mac shrugged his coat off onto the chair, and followed her. He snuck to the back door where his steamer trunk was, blocking the sliding entrance. He pulled out a pair of clean pajamas. He'd never changed for sleeping, but once taking up with Nora he figured out very quickly that cleanliness was a big factor of her life.

Once dressed, he walked over to the cashier counter. He looked upon the bed they'd built with love, wishing to be asleep already.

Mac flopped over on the bed comfortably. At once his thoughts began to blare.

He thought about the day he'd had. And... what Nora had said. Love. Why'd she say that? Was it really a mistake... or..

Only a minute passed before the office's sliding door opened. He turned his head to see Nora peeking out behind the doorway.

"Hey?" Mac croaked, throat dry.

"Hey," Nora responded. It was too dark to see her face. "Uh... y'know, it's kinda cold. Would.. ahem, could you maybe-?"

Mac sighed sarcastically, just the way that ticked her off. "You want me to sleep there too?"

Nora's head receded a little. "Yeah," she whispered.

Mac noted the embarrassment in her voice. He leaned up nonetheless, swinging his legs over the bedside to meet the cool floor. He entered the office slowly and tiredly.

"Close the door?" Nora's voice sounded. "It's 24 degrees out."

Mac scoffed, but hit the door button. "You wimp," he teased.

Cautiously, MacCready lowered himself onto the mattress, careful not to touch or dishevel Nora too much. The mattress springs pulled as he sat down. He leaned backwards, tucking his hand behind his head under the comfy pillow, the other hand coming to rest on his stomach.

Nora held her breath beside him. Once he was comfortable, she let it out in a quiet stream of warm air into her hair. Nora waited a minute until she inched closer, her knee touching Mac's thigh gently. He looked down at her. She tried to avoid his eyes, hesistating in the air.

"I'm going to do something... and you're going to tell me if you're okay with it..." Nora spoke softly into the dimly-lit darkness.

Mac squinted at nothing. "Uh... okay."

Nora slowly brought her arm to hover above his abdomen, pausing. Then she rested it on his shirt.

Mac shifted his arm above Nora, and she quickly stuck her head under to lay upon his chest. Mac felt himself grinning a little at her, letting his hand fall onto her upper arm.

Nora breathed softly. "Fine?"

Mac closed his eyes. "Fine."

The man moved his hand to grasp at the heavy blanket near the edge of the bed, pulling the fabric and tugging it over their bodies. Nora smoothed it out with delicate hands.

Both were silent for a few minutes, their breath mingling around them. The two began to warm up a little from the contact.

"Thank-you." Nora's voice was barely above a whisper in the night.

Mac pondered for a second. "For what?"

Silence. "Well... what I was trying to say earlier... I didn't think that I'd ever be okay after.. his death." Mac sensed her heart beat faster against his ribs. "I was so broken and empty... I didn't have much of a reason to care. I should've gone to Goodneighbor sooner..."

Mac's body buzzed with warmth. "Yeah... same here. No one had cared about me as much as you do now." He bit his lip, Lucy's face in his head. He squeezed his eyes shut tighter. "You showed me that there was.. stuff to do. Places to go and reasons to be."

Nora's fingers began to curl out and in on his chest.

"When Lucy..." He swallowed the word. "I was heart broken and scared. Scared that I was alone without my family." MacCready's hand started to rake up and down her arm, sending shivers down to her nails. "Along with Duncan... you're like my new family now."

Nora's face felt hot. She pushed it into Mac's skin.

MacCready let the words linger, enjoying Nora's body against his own. He felt her chest move with her breathing, her legs shift for comfort, her soft mumbles of happiness into him.

Nora slowly drew her head upwards from him, causing MacCready to tilt his own towards her. He could make out soft tones on her skin, the outline of her lips, shadows on her cheeks, the gleam of her eyes.

He was too busy concentrating on her comforting expression to sense that she shifted her position. When he glanced down, her left hand was pushed into the mattress sheet, the right resting between his chest and navel. Her cheek rested on her shoulder, hair waterfalling downwards.

"I'm going to do something else now, tell me if it's okay." Her voice was quiet and nervous.

He felt his heart rate increase at her words. His legs twitched impatiently. MacCready tried to stare down any expression she had, but she was too complicated to interpret in the dark.

Nora began to lean forward, the hand on his stomach curling the fingers into his shirt. He felt her hot breath strong on his cheeks. MacCready froze up under her.

Nora pushed further into him, eyes closed. Mac's vision went dark when she met him.

Her lips pressed gently against his, cautious, hesitant. Her hair brushed onto his cheeks. Mac barely felt it. He was swept up in the contact, her mouth sending shocks of wonder into his collarbone, down to his legs. His hand wavered over her neck.

His mind was blank. His only thought was her.

MacCready pressed onto her neck with his hand, leaning into her, deepening their lip lock. His other arm grazed her stomach before stopping to grasp her hip.

Only when Nora broke away for air did Mac fully register what just happened. His skin was tingling with something new. His hands started caressing Nora's back, tracing the grooves and new scars. Nora bowed her head into him.

"Fine?" Her voice was airy and driven with eagerness.

Mac nodded. "Fine."

Nora smiled, teeth softly touching his shirt. MacCready continued to drag his fingers across her back.

She hovered above his lips again, her cerulean eyes meeting his steel gray, those oceans tugging at her heartstrings, pulling the tides of her mind. Nora let herself jump into deep waves as her lips fell against his, the sensation rippling through her like sand down her skin.

MacCready grinned. His arms pulled her closer to him in a warm embrace. Nora's chest pressed in to his as their heartbeats intertwined like their fingers together. MacCready savored every detail of her skin, imprinting the lines and shapes into his brain, like a photograph.

Nora leaned backward, her body sitting up right. Her face shone pinkish even in the dark, and Mac blushed himself. He pushed himself upwards to be level with her, fingers twisting into her hair, touching the side of her face, feeling every freckle. She leaned into his rough hand and grabbed his wrist.

Mac found himself drowning in her beauty, the darkness finding a way to punctuate all her curves and edges.

The Vault dweller, as if reading his mind, let her hands roam around the hem of his shirt, picking at some of the frayed edges. Mac shuddered at her fingers. She smiled into her curtain of hair and started exploring his stomach. He had muscles every where from years in the waste, but his skin was soft and could be squished. Nora stroked in between subtle abs down his skin.

Mac tried to speak, taking a moment to gather his consciousness. "C- can we take this... slow?"

Nora stopped with her hands, turning rigid. "Um.. oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm sorry." She fell into his arms, and his hands wrapped around her in a loving embrace. "I just want to feel you here."

Mac nodded into the side of her face. He kissed her hairline gently, pulling a soft pleasurable breath from Nora. "Me too."

Nora pulled the blanket back onto them, a wave of warmth hitting her and traveling up and down her skin. She hummed softly. "I'm sorry... I didn't know-"

"Hey, hey," MacCready whispered. "It's not your fault. I... I never thought you could love someone... like me. I guess I'm still surprised."

Nora laughed into his collarbone, a warm vibration that made his skin erupt into goosebumps. "I thought it was obvious."

"Was it?"

"Um? Yeah?" She chuckled perfectly. "How I always mess up my words around you, run away from your questions. I even flirted with people to get your attention.."

"Oh." Mac bit back his smile. "I just thought you were a clumsy prostitute."

Nora's quiet chuckles burst into a few rounds of laughter. "Don't tease me! Drives me crazy," she inhaled her chuckles.

"That's why I do it, genius," MacCready echoed her. Nora sneered at him sarcastically.

They went silent for a few more minutes. MacCready tracing her shoulder blades and spine, Nora gently rubbing circles into his shirt with her thumb. With the door closed and them together, she felt warm.

"You still owe me one," Nora said at last.

Mac closed his eyes. "Well... what do you want then?"

She looked him in the face, eyes twinkling with comfort, and turned down to whisper against his body. "Let's talk."

•••


End file.
